TOP 10 POSTPARTUM BUYS THAT EASED OUR NEWBORN JOURNEY

It’s been years since my last post and it’s been one exciting journey. I got engaged, married and shortly after gave birth to a baby boy. I’ll probably write more about my birthing experience another time. I thought it was more pressing to share what we purchased that made our experience as first time parents easier.

Bellababy Baby Bottle Maker

I put this first on the list, although it was the most recent purchase. We didn’t know what postpartum would look like in terms of feeding. Like many we were keen on breast feeding only, but the supply and demand wouldn’t meet for my son so we decided on combined feeding. To make this work we needed to make bottles on the go when he woke up hungry an hour after breastfeeding. This baby bottle maker was perfect for those middle of the night feeds when we didn’t want him screaming the house down and needed the bottle to ready asap. We only use cooled down boiling water, never bottled water to avoid the minerals that to irritate the babies tummy. Since we're on the topic of feeding, I would highly recommend the MAM Starter Kit, the anti-colic bottles are also self-sterilising, which is helpful when you're away from home. The Dr.Brown bottles are also highly recommended as anti-colic bottles.

Niimo Nursing Pillow

This pillow has been a lifesaver when it comes to a tired feed on the bed. It helps me rest my hands or chug some water whilst feeding. I also find that it helps when my son feels agitated and gassy. Keeping him in a heightened position helps him sleep better. The cover is removable so you can wash it and keep it clean for your baby. I found it helped when I struggled with him latching onto one side too. A must purchase if you are breastfeeding or keen to try.

Baby Wrap Sling

I haven’t used this much but I already now it’s going to come in handy especially whilst travelling. Babies get more in need of cuddles and comfort, especially when they are unwell. It’s difficult to put your chores on hold when they are having a bad day so this gives you the opportunity to keep your baby close to you and give them comfort whilst getting things done around the house. It’s especially useful when you have more than one child which means more needs to be met. I put the Infantino Carrier on my baby wish list for the baby shower - I will most likely start using this when my son gets to six months.

If you choose not to spend the money. It’s worth buying the material and tying it following the instructions off YouTube videos. If you'd ask my mum, she'd tell me to pick up a 100% cotton saree for a fiver, that's what they used 'back in their day' and she's not wrong - it does the job for a smaller price.

Frida Baby Nasal Aspirator

There’s nothing more challenging than a sick baby under 1 who can’t communicate and struggles to breathe with a blocked nose. My son was born in September so it was inevitable that he was exposed to back to school flu season. These two products helped us clear his phlegm as he went along while the saline solution enabled him to clear his nose and breathe at night. This also helped us as new parents sleep better at night and not feel so anxious.

Electric Ultrasonic Air Humidifier

To compliment the aspirator, while our son was unwell, we had the humidifier in our room with baby Olbas oil. This helped us help him breathe better, especially since he was too young for baby Vicks or any other remedies. I had initially purchased this to use with essential oils, so I had Geranium essential oil in the humidifier to help me keep calm before giving birth. It was useful throughout my pregnancy and postpartum. A more high tech version with bigger capacity & great reviews would be the Homvana Humidifier

Nursing Chair

This chair was recommended to me by a colleague. It was the one thing I wouldn’t shift on and decided to go for the best one. The one I purchased was the Kub Nursing Chair from John Lewis, however the Kidzmotion Nursing Chair on Amazon seems to serve the same purpose. They both have the gliding footstool which is what makes it a unique purchase to other nursing chairs.

This was perfect prenatal when I wanted to have my feet up but struggled to get in and out of bed (especially the last trimester). However it has proven to be a lifesaver postpartum having had a C-section delivery and struggling with the pain the first few weeks but still needing to feed. The rocking aspect helps for those middle of the night feeds when you’re too tired to be in your feet but need some movement to help your baby sleep.

Supplements 

Ever since my 5th year of teaching I’ve been a big fan of taking supplements to prevent sickness and make up for missing nutrients. Most importantly, my one go to prenatal vitamin contained Vitamin D and Magnesium from Holland & Barrett. Where I struggled to meet my sons feeding demands during the first few weeks. A set of Pregnacare tablets helped push the supply up & make sure I was well nourished for breast feeding. In addition to this I have recently ordered tablets from, to help tackle the fatigue that comes with breastfeeding. I’ll be trying these Wild Nutrition Pregnancy Vitamins as a replacement to the Pregnacare and leave a review on my Instagram. Watch this space!

Jheppbay Electric Breast Pump

It’s 2.30am and I’ve just started my middle of the night pump as I write this post. This is one product I know most people purchase. I found this one particularly useful because I can leave it in my bra and pump while getting other things done. It’s also more reasonably priced than the Elvie pump or Momcozy which both have a similar design. However the Elvie pump may provide more features that I’m not aware of so you might want to make that comparison yourself before deciding. 

Baby Vitamins

If you are breastfeeding your baby will get all the best of you & if you are formula feeding most of the formula on the market are filled with the right vitamins. However since our baby was unwell when born and high risk for the first few months I thought it be best to be on the safer side. The NICU doctors recommended these drops for a new-born; Abidec Multivitamins and Natures Aid Vitamin D3 drops. My son isn't a fan of the taste of the Abidec, but he's taken to the Vitamin D3 drops quite well.

Natural Hair Oils

If you’re familiar with my page & company you’ll know that I’m a massive believer of using natural products for skin and hair, specifically hair oils. My son was born with severe cradle cap. So I decided to research and create an oil concoction of my own to aid his growth. It’s most important to check babies skin for allergies before using any products. Keep an eye on the @sk_hairfix Instagram products page for his hair growth & scalp care journey.

I hope these product recommendations are useful and make the postpartum journey a smoother one, smooth as it can be. They say it’s tough and to take it all in because it doesn’t last long. I’m sitting here 6 weeks in and I couldn’t agree more. They grow so fast so enjoy the first 3 months when they scrunch up into a ball & sit and stare at you at 3am with their cute little eyes. Its tough for us mums, also for the dads who are supporting us (some even doing it on their own). Follow your gut instincts & it'll all work itself out.

If you enjoyed reading this, please like comment & share.

Until next time..

B